'Tremendous' Demand For Hinsdale Condos

HINSDALE, IL – Citing market demand, a developer is reducing the number of units in a planned condo complex in Hinsdale.

"There's a ton of interest, and we're not surprised," Drew Mitchell, a partner at South Bend, Indiana-based Holladay Properties, said at Tuesday's Village Board meeting. "People want to live in Hinsdale, and we have a lot of desire for downsizing empty nesters to stay in town, so there's tremendous demand."

An unusual part of that demand, he said, was for larger units.

So Holladay wants to build seven units, instead of the original dozen. The board approved that request.

"That will result in less density in the neighborhood, which I view as a good thing," Trustee Luke Stifflear said.

Under the plan, the developer is renovating the old Zion Lutheran Church school building at 125 S. Vine St.

In its previous approval, the Village Board required that 80 percent of the units have someone who is 55 or older.

Under the changes approved Tuesday, the complex will have three parking spaces per unit. That's up from two.

"The neighborhood seemed really supportive of the project, but for the parking," Mitchell said.

He noted the ongoing work.

"If you've been by the project as of late, it's a mess," Mitchell said. "You have to go down before you go up. Success is messy, but we are on our way."

The condos are expected to be ready in about a year, said Craig Ross, owner of Hinsdale-based Ross Builders.